Development of the Nile Delta information system asa case study
Within a GIS—based environment, the Nile Delta Coastal Water Quality Information
System
was
developed in order to bridge the gap that now exists between the
increasingly available generic imagery that is supplied by space agencies, the means of
manipulating it for purposes of routine monitoring of the coastal area, and the tools
currently available to local authorities and other users in the delta region to address their
management problems.
The system routinely provides water quality and usage information of high quality
to monitor and better manage natural resources within the coastal area, and create self—
sufficiency in both the generation and usage of resultant output in applications.
This
system is a practical new tool to transform satellite thermal and colour imagery into time
series maps of water quality. These maps provide a record of changes in water quality
and may provide key evidence of why these changes occur. Comparison of water quality
maps to coastal resource exploitation maps, leads to a more comprehensive and detailed
understanding of the coastal region for resource managers.
The developed system is
illustrated in figures (4 and 5).
Most importantly, the information system benefits the public. The deterioration of
coastal and inland waters continues to affect the lives of many, and the public must know
that efforts for ecological monitoring and long—term planning are effectively being
implemented.
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Figure 4: Using of MODIS satellite data for determining the Water Quality Parameters
,
using EAS'y Software along the Nile_Delta Coast
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